


Help, Please?

by endlessnightlock (Endlessnightlock)



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, Implied Everlark, Implied Hayffie, Meet-Cute, Odesta, Social Anxiety, awkward Annie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:02:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27784936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Endlessnightlock/pseuds/endlessnightlock
Summary: Tumblr prompt from fluff list:Help me, I’m being hit on at a bar; please be my fake boyfriend for a second.
Relationships: Annie Cresta/Finnick Odair
Comments: 12
Kudos: 55





	Help, Please?

  1. **_Help me, I’m being hit on at a bar; please be my fake boyfriend for a second._**



  
  
  
  


Annie stared down into her drink. She swirled the skinny straw through the bubbles with as much disinterest as she could muster, trying to not-so-subtly convey to the guy boxing her in between himself and the bar that she was not interested in talking to him. 

It didn't affect jabber-jaws one bit- he didn't seem like the brightest, anyway.

Annie pointedly sighed and looked to the side, but he paid her no mind. She supposed he’d become too swept up in his story about how much weight he could squat-thrust to focus on her reaction to him.

Darn her social anxiety anyway! She wouldn’t be in this situation if she weren’t so afraid of talking to people in the first place. Most women would have had the nerve to brush this guy off a long time ago. Not Annie Cresta- and that was precisely why she never went out. She was terrible at getting herself out of these situations. 

Despite Annie’s reclusive nature, her coworker Effie talked her into meeting up at _Haymitch’s_ for a drink at the end of a terrible workweek. That in itself was enough branching out of her comfort zone, but then Effie abandoned her as soon as the bar’s owner showed up and started chatting her up. 

She was sure she’d been used as a means to an end by the other woman, and she wasn’t pleased about it.

Not that this was entirely Effie’s fault, Annie admitted to herself. Effie didn’t know about the near-crippling dread that overtook her in public places because, in her programming job in the back of their office, Annie functioned fine. They had a small group of co-workers, most of whom she’d known for years. She’d never disclosed her issues with public places or unknown variables with any of them- she didn't want their disdain or pity. 

Effie certainly wasn’t aware that she spent most weekends doing solitary things or hanging out with Aunt Mags because of her hang-ups about meeting new people.

Honestly, she was kicking herself for deviating from her usual routine at all. She wished she was at home right now. 

Annie shifted on her feet again. Glancing around the guy’s shoulder, she caught a glimpse at another table where two men and a woman sat together, laughing over drinks. The wavy-haired blond guy and the dark-haired woman were together- the way they held hands on the tabletop gave that away, while the other man seemed to be on his own. 

“Other guy,” as she dubbed the third member of their group in her head, was ridiculously handsome. She was sure he had the attention of every woman in the room and more than a few of the men- he just kind of radiated life and energy, as well as being so good-looking with that perfect face and golden (yes, bronze-blond was gold, right?) hair.

There was a tiny piece of Annie wishing she could be part of that circle. Her solitary life was mostly satisfying, but still, she longed for some friends like that blond guy and his girlfriend. 

Most people in the bar tonight, at least from her observations, seemed really into themselves and the impression they were trying to make. Something about the couple seemed different- more like they knew who they were and were just having a good time. 

And “other guy”? He was stupidly attractive, but she liked something about him that wasn’t just appearance. It had to be that warm smile he flashed at his friends and the way his whole face seemed to curve up into it.

Or maybe she just had an overactive imagination. 

That was probably more like it.

“So what do you say-” the guy interrupted her train of thoughts, bringing her back to her current problem- the one who probably thought all women wanted him despite their indifferent vibes. 

“-do you want to get dinner with me- maybe see what else the night holds?”

Annie’s stomach squished unpleasantly at the prospect of leaving alone with some stranger she didn’t even like. 

Why did she have to be so darn shy- why couldn’t she just tell the guy no?

But then, like some kind of guardian angel, “other guy’s” eyes connected with hers from across the room, held her gaze for a minute, and _smiled_ _at_ _her._

And just like that, an idea was born. 

Annie frowned, and that must've distracted the man boxing her in because she finally managed to side-step him without resorting to using force. “Sorry, can’t. I just spotted my boyfriend and our friends across the room.” She waved at “other guy”-

_Please wave back; please wave back-_

-and ”other guy” waved back with an amused smirk that could’ve easily come from an extremely handsome man who knows he's head and shoulders above the guy currently trying to flirt with his girlfriend.

Annie let out the breath she was holding, waiting for ”other guy’s” reaction. 

_Thank you._

”So I’d better get going.” 

Annie stepped around the man, and with her knees shaking beneath her pencil skirt from nerves and adrenaline both, made her way over to the group at the table. Before “other guy” had a chance to speak to her, she leaned over his shoulder. 

”Help me- I’m being hit on at the bar; please be my fake boyfriend for a second?” Annie whispered.

A low, pleasant laugh came from ”other guy’s” throat. ”Of course. I'm always ready to help out damsels in distress. Nice to meet you,” he said with a voice as smooth and warm as honeyed milk. He turned in towards her when he spoke, his mouth resting near her ear. His breath on her skin made her shiver.

“Other guy” was doing a great job of playing along with the charade; Annie felt half in love with him already if that sort of thing were possible or happened to people like her, which they didn’t.

”I’m Finnick,” he said.

”Annie, ” she introduced herself. She had the strongest urge to fiddle with her hair but told herself not to.

”I guess you’d better sit if we want to make it look good.” 

Finnick pulled out a chair and pressed his hand lightly against the small of her back, urging her to join them. He subtly nodded at the couple across the table as Annie settled in her seat before loosely wrapping his arm around her shoulders in what had to be the most nonthreatening way a strange man had ever handled her. His touch was reassuring, not constraining. Annie had to admit to herself that his arm felt pretty good there. 

”These are my friends, Katniss and Peeta. This is Annie, ” he introduced her to the couple, ”my pretend girlfriend.”

The man, Peeta, gave Annie a warm smile and greeted her by name. Katniss didn’t say much, but she felt that the other woman was quieter like herself.

Finnick propped his chin in his hand and assessed Annie, his gaze steady on her face. She thought his green eyes reflected a distinct interest in her, even though a guy like him seemed totally out of her league. “We haven’t been together for very long,” he went on. “Two, three-“

“Seconds at most?” Annie chimed in on the joke, surprising herself. She never talked to new people this easily.

“Yes, what can I say?” Finnick said, his eyes lighting up. “She snuck up on me. It was love at first sight.”

* * *

  
  


It turned out to be love at first sight (or something very close) because, thirteen months later, Finnick proposed to Annie at that same table. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Just a little story I posted on Tumblr- wasn’t sure it fitted in with my drabble collection :). 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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